The Inmates are Running the Asylum

If you are a software developer who is ever responsible for the user interface provided to your users, then this is a
book you have to read.

Tech products are notoriously hard to use - just witness the problems experienced by a typical new user trying to get
something (anything) done.

Alan Cooper has a thesis that the source of this difficulty is that the people doing the
programming are the people doing the design.

Software developers are usually highly intelligent, extremely logical and very focused. They also tend to take delight
in learning all the esoteric corners of a system - often for the same reason that mountaineers climb mountains. Because
it’s there.

It’s obvious to observe developers are not typical users. Unfortunately, these same developers tend to design user
interfaces that suit themselves, not the average user.

In his book, The Inmates are Running the
Asylum, Alan Cooper discusses the consequences
of having the developers design the products, and how to avoid the pitfalls of the approach.

Rating: Every developer who touches or influences the user experience of the system … and this means all of us …
needs to read and understand this book.